Love Song
by Hijiki
Summary: This is not a love story. She is their prisoner, and they will do whatever it takes to break her. Even if it means destroying her and everything she loves. "Every life is precious!" She says. The Sakamaki boys find vegetarians very amusing. [ content warnings within ]
1. Snow

**_Warning!_** **Graphic** content in future chapters, including **torture** and **non-consentual** intimacy. _But this is Diabolic lovers, soooo. That's_ _ **almost**_ _a given._

* * *

"Father, just let me take over the ranch..! Haruka is still too young, and you're too old..!" I snickered a bit, but the words behind my proposal were serious. My father sighed with a smile and looked at me with that clever sparkle in his eye.

"Hey, give your father some credit, I've still got some fight left in me, girl.." He leaned on the rake he'd been using to scatter straw around my favorite calf's stall. I made a face at his stubborn resilience. I was about to argue, but his expression turned serious. "And you and I both know a woman can't own land, Aika."

That stung.

"Father, you don't have to give me the title to it... just... let me do the work for you..! I'm sixteen now, I can handle it! I don't care if Haruka inherits the farm once he's old enough..." I hated to confront my father about anything, but his health was quickly deteriorating... He was sick for the second time this month, and this time it was worst than the last. But, as I feared, he was already shaking his head in that tired way he did. I knew that he wasn't going to budge, but I'd hoped that I wouldn't have to fight him for real about this. I hardened my heart for his sake.

"But father, you're _far_ too old to still be herding." I stated firmly.

He gave a heavy sigh and fixed me with a tired look. I hesitated under it. Was he going to yell at me for calling him old? He must have known it was true though, because he closed his eyes with another sigh.

"... I know you're growing restless, Aika... you're a woman now, already sixteen years, and yet no husband yet... But what will the town think of old Takara Tsukimura if his daughter is the only one driving the cows in the winter?" He shook his head again and resumed his raking. "Nope, I won't let those Kawamaru boys have the last laugh at me."

"Father, who cares about-" I started complaining, but he interrupted me.

" _No,_ Aika! A woman will not run this farm!"

I stared at his face for a moment; I'd never seen it so twisted in rage. Especially not at me... _I only wanted to help..!_ Feeling sick, I spun on my heel and ran home.

Home consisted of just one square room, with walls cluttered by coats on pegs and pots on nails, lit by a cozy fire. Inside it I found Haruka seated before my mother; she was combing the tangles from his black hair. Painfully, if his expression meant anything. Seeing them warmed me from the bitter exchange with my father. I smiled.

Haruka perked up when he saw me. "Onee-Chan! Can you brush my hair? Okaa-San always makes it hurt..!"

Our mother was a kind woman, but she looked at my brother reproachfully and tapped him on the head with the comb she was using. "That's only because you never brush it yourself, Haruka..."

He rubbed his sore roots with a scowl. I laughed quietly, closing the cold out behind me. "If you braided your hair like me, Haru-Chan, that wouldn't be a problem."

"Hey, don't call me that..! I'm not five years old anymore, I'm ten now! I'm almost a man!" He whined.

I put my hands on my hips. "Right. Because men get stolen honey in their hair."

Haruka's bravado melted as our mother regarded him critically. "... honey?"

Harka laughed nervously. "W-what are you talking about, Nee-Chan? I would never take honey from the pantry...!"

"Mmmhm." I wagged a brow at my younger brother's attempts to sooth our mother.

"Is that why you haven't had an appetite lately? You've been taking sweets from under my nose..!" She knocked him on the head with the comb again.

"Ouch! Nee-Chan, you did this!" He wailed.

I laughed and turned on my heel, deciding to return outside. "I'm not the one who ate the honey, Haru-Chan! Take responsibility..!"

Back in the yard, I looked around for my father. I'd hoped that he'd calmed down by then... maybe I could talk some sense into him if I worded it differently... I could hardly believe he'd gotten so mad in the first place... Then I spied him, still over by my calf Yuki's stall. But Yuki wasn't the only one with him. Three men were, too. And _Kawamaru_ men by the look of them.

I could tell by their fine hats and bright blue clothes. Their expensive, musky odor also clued me in as scowled and stomped towards them.

The Kawamaru were our competitors and the only other cattle ranchers within three villages. They'd bought out all the other ranches in the area, except our small one. Their visits were the source of much grief; last time they heckled us, Father was left coughing for days.

"Father! What are these leeches doing here?" I demanded, once in ear shot. The men turned to watch me in amusement. I realized with a pang of anxiety that one of them was that stupid Kaito. I feared the heat that crept into my cheeks and ignored him, looking only at my father. "Don't they know we aren't interested in their filth?"

My father looked exhausted. "Now, now, Aika... we're conducting... business..."

The Kawamaru men chuckled at that, but I refused to look at them. I felt heat rise in me.

"... you're actually making a _deal_ with these scum...?" I hissed.

"Tsukimura-San.." One of the men reached for me, but I swatted their hand away. It was Kaito and he stared at me in amusement, but I was furious and couldn't stand to look at him. "It's nothing life changing, we're merely purchasing this calf."

When I rounded on him, my father looked on the verge of feeling guilty, but he was too proud to allow it.

"What?! Father, no..! Yuki is mine, you **can't** sell her! Especially to _these_ people...! _"_

"Aika, are you out of your mind?" My father shifted his eyes in embarrassment for me speaking out. But I couldn't stop myself. "That's what cows are for; to be sold and eaten. _You_ know that."

I stared, unable to move. It hurt so much. I'd raised Yuki from the time she was born until now; her mother had rejected her and none of the other cows would allow her to suckle. So I hand fed her, and she grew up strong and loved me. Father knew how much she meant to me...!

And now, she was going to be sold to these damn Kawamaru boys with their arrogant smiles?! No! I refused to allow that.

"We'll see about that!" I shouted to the amusement of those irritating Kawamaru boys and Kaito. Unable to stand their filthy gazes, I spun and ran back home. Behind me, I heard snickering about _women knowing their place_ and _business_...

At dawn I was pulled from sleep by pounding on the door to our home. I was startled.

… _did I forget to hang the laundry...?_ I panicked, but I realized the voices weren't that of my disappointed parents. They were men. Angry men. I recognized one distinctly.

"Come on out, Aikaaa." Kaito called; he was the one banging on the door. It stood out above the muffled voices. Kaito Kawamaru was once my best friend. But seeing how all Kawamaru are ass-hats, that didn't last long... _even if they are handsome._

I was still puzzled and my family had began to stir from their beds around me, when the door finally burst open. Father was gone; he'd taken the cows to pasture that morning. Nothing stood between these invaders and my dazed mother and brother. It was up to me to protect them!

I jumped to my feet, wearing my night pants and shirt and looked for a weapon. I armed myself with a broom and stood my ground against the mob of angry men.

Kaito was the first one through the door, holding a blazing torch against the darkness of the faintly lit morning. He looked me square in the eye; I bared my teeth like a cornered wolf. Kaito smiled and raised a hand for the shouting men behind him to wait.

I shook with fury and _ached_ to beat his face in. "Who do you think you are?!"

Slowly, he lowered his torch as a sign of peace, but somehow I found it hard to relax with a dozen armed men on my doorstep. He watched me like a bull ready to charge.

"Tsukimura-San... where is the cow?" He asked patiently. I froze in confusion, then grit my teeth when I remembered.

"Right... You're talking about my precious Yuki, aren't you?" I laughed wickedly. Kaito wasn't phased by my laughter.

"Yes. She is ours now, Aika. We bought her." He said slowly, I flinched when he used my first name. If I didn't know better, I'd guess he was actually trying to be nice to me. But Kawamaru men are all wolves, so I knew better. "Where is she?"

"You want me to tell you, so you can chop her up into tiny pieces!" I shouted, shaking. But then I smiled. "Fine. I'll tell you. She's probably three villages away by now, on her way to a dairy farm, **you bastard**! I'd _never_ let you eat her!"

Kaito seemed shocked by that. It took a moment for him to gather himself. Then his peaceful expression turned into a tired smile. He sighed. "Then you leave me no choice, Aika."

I glared at my former friend, unyielding.

"Seize her."

I froze. My mother and Haruka screamed as the pitchfork wielding men came into our home. I gnashed my teeth. "KAWAMARU."

Shouting, I used the reach of my broom to swiftly jab a man in the stomach, knocking him backwards into the other men with a clatter. I was about to charge at them, but Kaito's torch was in my face.

"If you resist, I will burn your home." He warned, the fire light dancing on his stern features. "With your family inside."

I squeezed the broom in my hands. My mother held Haruka as he stared at the fire in terror. "... Onee-Chan.."

I leveled a glare at the man threatening my family and dropped the broom. Rough hands grabbed my arms and dragged me out into the yard. I was forced to my knees and bound with rope.

The sky was turning pink as Kaito watched his stupidly chuckling cousins tie me up. There was no way we could have ever been friends... I would never have trusted a wolf in such cheep fleece.

A crowd of villagers was gathering; my neighbors whispered curiously as I was treated like an animal. I felt humiliated.

".. do you seriously think you can do this, Kaito..?!" I hissed at him. He raised a brow and kneeled down to me.

"Who's going to stop me, Ai-Chan?" He whispered, his torch uncomfortably close to my face. He tilted his head. "You don't have any friends. You're not rich. And you're not even marriageable..! Who would help _you?"_

Kaito himself took a strip of cloth and gagged me as I struggled to scream. I loathed him. I wanted to set him on _fire!_ I wanted to hear him _SCREAMING._ Just as Kaito rose, my father came running down from the field. He was huffing and puffing and had to lean on his walking staff. He stared at my state in horror. "W-w-what is.. the meaning of this...?!"

Kaito stood tall, and spoke for the growing crowd to hear him.

"Your errant daughter has stolen a calf that we paid for!" He pointed at me. Only then did my father take his eyes off of me. He stared up at Kaito, unable to speak. "I _will_ be compensated."

The weight of his words seemed to press down on my father. He seemed so defeated, like he knew what would happen next.

 _What's going on here?! Is it really that serious..?! He can't_ _ **seriously**_ _think that he can just take me like this..!_

My father took a moment to collect himself, before seeming to harden his will. He looked up at Kaito. "I.. I consent, Kaito-San..."

I felt a stab of betrayal. _W... what is going on... consent to what?! Father, are you going to let these bastards treat me this way!?_

I struggled wildly, feeling the sting of betrayal well up in my eyes. One of Kaito's cousins had to hold me back, and my father stared at me like I was a bear on a rope leash, about to break free of its restraints. _FATHER. DON'T LET THEM DO THIS._

Kaito chuckled, startling my father out of staring at me.

"It's a little too late for happy endings now, Tsukimura."

I glared up at him, furious and confused. _They're talking over my head... what on earth..._

"What do you mean..?!" My father asked in disbelief. He seemed genuinely terrified. _Happy endings...? What deals were you making in Yuki's stall, Father..?!_

"The deal is off. I have another plan." The filthy bastard smiled wickedly down at me. I felt ice wash over me with his gaze.

 _Whatever he's planning... doesn't sound fun..._

Images of torture, burning stakes and a noose flashed before my eyes.

 _What have I done...?_

"I'm going to give her to our kind Lords in the Forest." Kaito said proudly as horses pulling a steel cage rattled their way up the road. I stared at that cage; it was used for transporting cattle... and maybe thieving sixteen year old girls... The crowd of villagers began whispering louder.

 _Giving me..?! I'm not a... a sheep! I can't be given away as you please, bastard!_

Fury pricked at my eyes but I held down the tears. I looked around at the faces of my village. None seemed the slightest distressed by this, only curious. But my father cried out and had to be restrained by one of those filthy Kawamaru men. He was struggling so much...

 _W... what does it mean...? Who are the Lords in the Forest..?!_ I stared at the faces of the people I'd grown up with. _Why aren't they helping me...?_

I felt so abandoned. I looked at the ground as my eyes began to water _… does everyone really hate me that much...? Is it because I wear male clothing...?_

My father was still shouting as Kaito lifted me, almost gently, into the cage. I was too numb to struggle even when Kaito removed the fabric gagging me. I stared at his boots, as I gathered my shattered wits. He waited patiently for me, awaiting a response. When I glared up at him, he seemed curious and amused. "... anything you want to say...?"

I felt hollow. "... for freeing one animal... you're doing all this...?"

I flinched when his rough fingers cupped my chin and stroked my cheek. He looked down on me, piteously. "It's more than for one mere cow, Aika-Chan..."

I grit my teeth and tiredly pulled myself away from his grip. He let me. "That's because Yuki isn't just a cow..! She's more than just food to me."

He smiled sadly down at me, but didn't reach for me again. Instead he lowered himself to my level, and invaded my personal space. I wrinkled my nose as his musky aroma assaulted my senses.

"... it's not just because you stole from me..." He murmured, brushing an errant strand behind my ear. I felt sick at his touch. "It's because your loving father refused to marry you to me..."

I stared wide. And cold gripped my chest. "You mean..."

 _The deal... the happy ending...?_

He tilted his head, entertained by my reaction. "I can't say that I was taken by your charms; you wear trousers like a man and smell like a cow. I would have certainly cheated on you for a more gentle woman." He winked disgustingly. I finally stopped staring at him and glared at the ground. I'd heard enough of wearing skirts from my mother. "But if I can't have your farm through an unhappy marriage, then I can just destroy it from the inside out..."

"... the farm...?"

"Of course. It's not like _you're_ of any value." He raised a brow at that. "But without you, your father won't be able to tend to his herd... it will grow week and sick... just like your father. And it will be so _easy_ to take your land then. Almost boring, really."

I couldn't feel anything. It was like I was a ghost watching my corpse from the outside. But all I could think as that bastard locked the cage, laughing as he walked away, was the remorse my father would have for not marrying me off... the hunger my brother would feel when they couldn't afford food... my mother's agony as she watched her family suffer...

I think I screamed.


	2. Frostbite

The sky was gray and the rain fell lazily, pattering quietly on the iron bars. It was supposed to be cold in late autumn; it certainly looked cold. But I couldn't feel it. Maybe because I was the same temperature as the rain that clung to me.

Maybe I'd die from pneumonia before we reached our destination. Before strangers could decide my fate. Maybe I'd never have to face torture or solitude; I'd just fall asleep and never wake up. A quiet voice in my head told me I shouldn't welcome death.

And yet, as I stared unseeingly at the passing blurs, it was easy to tell that I didn't care. Whether my destiny was agony or sweet release; it didn't matter. I was numb to it all. The cold, the rocking of the cage, the wind that stung my arms and legs; none of it mattered. It didn't even matter where my worst enemy was taking me. Though, something told me that I should have been more concerned... I tried hard to remember why.

 _I'm a prisoner now... but... some day I might not be..._ I reminded myself. And the vaguest hope of being able to see Haruka smile in the sunshine again kindled a warmth inside me. And immediately, I wished it hadn't, because numbed fingers once warmed hurt more than when they were frozen. The same could be said about my consciousness thawing as I became reacquainted to my misery.

The cold gripped my heart tightly; I curled up and clutched my old night shirt as I shook. The old pains hurt so much... _I'm sorry your big sis won't be there for you, Haruka... be strong..._

Rubbing my aching arms, I shivered and looked around. We were in a forest, and if I was remembering correctly, we had been for at least the past two days. On the first day, it was mortifying to hear the whispers and endure the stares of strangers, but the longer we had ridden, the less people we'd seen and the denser the wood became. Above me I could barely glimpse the grayed sky as night approached. But I could definitely feel the chill preceding it.

"Oi, Kawamaru, you worthless bastard...!" I called hoarsely over my shoulder as Kaito drove the horses. "Where are we?!"

He was silent for a moment.

"Ahh. Are you finally alive in there?" He asked genially, ignoring my insults and question. "It had been three days, I was getting worried that you'd be a zombie when we arrived."

"Three days..?" Maybe I'd misjudged how long we'd been in the forest... I hugged myself against a breeze. So I'd been in this cage for three days, in nothing but my threadbare night shirt and my father's old pants. "Where exactly are you taking me, Kawamaru.."

Kaito Kawamaru was silent, but it was hard to hear over the rattle of the cage and _clip, clop, clip,_ of the horse's hooves.

"Oi, _Katio_..!"

I heard him sigh and saw his shoulders fall.

"I told you before; I'm taking you to the Lords of the Forest. Don't you know who they are?" He asked almost tiredly. I scowled, feeling like a child.

"... I might have heard of them once or twice..." I muttered.

There was silence. Then he sighed again. "We used to play a game called the Castle in the Forest when we were kids, do you remember?"

"Hmph. No, I don't.." I scoffed. _I'm certain I tried my hardest to forget our brief friendship..._

"Well I do." He said. "You need at least seven kids to play it and a forest. Six of the kids are the Lords of the forest, and they hide behind trees and bushes. Then, the rest of the kids start at the same tree and have to escape the forest without being tagged. If you're tagged, then that's game over for you."

Kaito talked like he was glad to converse. That, or he was fond of that stupid memory... _I doubt that though.._. I sat in bitter silence and pretended he wasn't talking about us being friendly. He was merely talking about something he and his evil cousins had played when they were snot-nosed brats... not me. I played with the cattle in the field, not the lords in the forest.

"... sounds rigged." I said over the rattling. I heard Kaito laugh faintly.

"Oh yeah, it was. The fewer prisoners you had trying to escape the forest, the harder it was to escape" He said fondly. "... we usually only had you."

"Wh-what?!" I spat. "Just me?! That sounds terrible!"

"Hah... you didn't think so. You always _chose_ to be the prisoner escaping. And sometimes you won."

I scowled bitterly. "Well, I hope you know, I'm not too happy about being the prisoner this time..."

"Yes, but you still chose it." He said easily. "You chose it when you sold that calf to a dairy farm, and you chose it again when you surrendered to me."

I felt the heat rise in my chest. "Hardly! There was no other choice!"

"Really, Tsukimura... you could have chosen to let us have that calf. That was an easy choice."

"Not for me, damn it! I loved her!" I shouted.

He was silent.

"... what about all the other cows you've eaten? Didn't you raise those, too?"

It was my turn to be silent.

"... Yuki was special... you could have chosen _any_ other calf, Kaito..."

"Aika. Cattle are meant to be eaten; that's the way it works. A cow is a cow, no matter how you look at it."

I leered at the back of his head. I felt heat stir in my chest, and wondered if he felt the fire I glared at him. "Right... and I guess all Kawamaru are filthy monsters, no matter how you look at them."

He sighed and we returned to silence. Along with his cold shoulder, I felt the chill seep back into my chest, and somehow it felt colder than before... it must have been the night's descent that chilled me.

When the trees became a live, swaying tunnel and the dark crept closer, Kaito paused to light two lamps. When he did, he said "We'll be arriving soon."

I watched him hang the lanterns from poles with mild interest. "How do you know where this place is...?"

He glanced at me as he stood on his toes. "It's easy; there's only one road that goes this deep into the forest. At least in these parts; there are six different paths to the castle... you know that this forest is enormous, right...?"

I glowered. "Of course I can tell it's enormous; we've been in here for days."

He sighed as he managed to secure the lamp. "Yes, but the place we're going to is the center; if you wanted to get to the other side of this forest, it would take twice as long. Can you imagine how big this wood is?"

I held my knees and sulked. "... who cares how big it is...?"

He shrugged. "You might. If you want to see your brother again."

I glared. "... why would you care if I _ever_ saw him again, Kawamaru; it's your fault this is happening... do you even know what they're going to do to me..?"

He shrugged a shoulder as he climbed back onto his seat. "Tsukimura, you stole the cow from me, so it's _your_ fault. And it's up to them to decide the punishment for cattle theft, not me. But if I know them like I _think_ I do... you won't be back for a _long,_ long while..."

I leered warily. _I could be tortured and killed for all he knows… he really doesn't care what happens to a childhood friend.. Kawamaru really are monsters..._

"... you're a real asshole, you know that...?" I could barely hear myself as he drove the horses forward. But honestly, I wasn't sure I wanted him to hear me. "... do you really hate me so much, Kaito...?"

I was resigned to remain silent and accept my fate.

"... it's just business, Aika."

* * *

I'm sure no one's interested in all this background stuff and all these... non-Sakamaki people. But fear not! They're coming.


	3. Abyss

Above, the leaves of deciduous trees and the needles of pine completely blocked out the sky. Below, roots and rocks made my cage rattle and shake violently. I clung to the bars for support. _Tch.. what an unkempt path..._

It was evident that no one had traveled this far onto this path in what must have been months... Maybe that was part of the reason I hadn't known about the Lords of the Forest; no one else had either.

But when we broke free of the trees and sky finally opened up to us, it became evident that _many_ people knew of the castle in the forest. In the sky, the full moon looked big enough to swallow us whole; it bathed the world in a milky glow. Inside towering stone walls, the castle stretched towards the sky like a man made mountain; tall twisted metal decorations rose like spines on a lizard. At its feet was a broad court yard the size of my _entire_ village, artfully decorated with beautiful rose gardens and sparkling fountains. In this expanse of smooth stone and moonlight, hundreds of people were gathered.

They milled about, waiting, and seemed nearly as nervous as I was, but were significantly better dressed. For the most part, they seemed like average villagers, but their clothes were the kind that was worn at special occasions, like church or festivals. Visiting a castle certainly required such formalities... and yet, in comparison I was in rags. As I passed in my cage, those that glanced at me gave me strange looks.

When Kaito found a suitable place to rest his horses, I spoke in a whisper. _"Oi,_ what are all these people doing here, Kaito...?"

He lifted his eyebrows. "They're here for audience with their lords too, Tsukimura."

"Their lords..? There's more than one here?" I looked up towards the castle that seemed to have buildings that sprung up out of nowhere. On and on it went into the dark. ".. I guess this is a pretty large place."

"Yep. There are six lords here, so people come from all over to have them judge their fates." Kaito said before leaving to fill a bucket for his horses to drink from. I squeezed the bars of the cage, staring at the face of the castle and the enormous, elegantly carved wooden doors on its front.

… _I could die in there... I'd go in and never come out..._

I wouldn't have let Kaito see my tears. But since he was gone... one might have slipped out...

When Kaito returned, he re-secured the gag in my mouth. But not without a fight. When he successfully tied the white fabric around my head, he had a few aching bite marks to show for it. With a scowl, he marched me to the head of the crowd, just as the doors opened. Like the mouth of a giant, the doors groaned, and with their opening a wind blew. Like the castle was trying to swallow us.

Kaito had to shove me to move me in with the rest of the people who were entering the castle. I felt like a sheep in a herd; I'd never seen so many people before. Some people were bound like I was and had tears on their cheeks, but most merely looked anxious. But everyone was quiet.

Somehow, it felt like a funeral procession. And maybe it was, for many... depending on how kind these Lords of the Forest were... I really was uncertain of what to expect...

The inside of the castle was dark and cold. I couldn't see anything beyond the torch light of a few sconces upon stalagmite-like pillars that went up and up into obscurity. The scuff and click of feet shuffling and whispers of the anxious lingered like tortured souls, echoing eerily. When finally the creeping crowd stopped and everyone was within the castle, the doors to the outside world began to move. They groaned and swung shut with the resounding _clang_ of a lock.

I swallowed thickly as hope for escape was snuffed out. _Damn you, Kaito... if I never get to see Haruka again..._

At the head of the chamber, larger fires burned in raised metal bowls, illuminating six raised thrones. Each was made of varying materials; some were made of wrought metal and fabric, and some were made of wood and stone, but all were elaborate and beautiful. Behind them was a large pale door, carved with painstaking detail. Everyone waited breathlessly.

When the white door opened with a clamor, the room fell silent. From the darkness, strange people emerged. I gasped when they came into view.

They were beautiful. Strange, definitely, but undeniably beautiful.

The six of them were young men, dressed in fine fabrics and precious metals, but since they were _lords_ that shouldn't have surprised me. In the firelight, they all appeared vaguely orange, but beneath that, I knew the colors of their hair was strange... Red hair, white, yellow, purple... I'd never seen hair like that... and their eyes were very different but all stunning, not merely simple almond shapes. They moved with grace and their expressions were mostly of distaste. But that was to be expected of the elite, wasn't it... suddenly, as a cowherd in rags, I felt very small.

 _H... how did they become lords? Via beauty pageant...?!_

A severe young man in black stepped forward as the others took their seats. The clicking of his heels echoed throughout the chilly air. Even when he stopped, the sound reverberated so hollowly that I struggled to imagine the true shape of the cavernous chamber. The man before us wore spectacles and adjusted them before he spoke.

"As always, we welcome you to our castle." He began. But he didn't _sound_ welcoming. He sounded like he was wasting his time, speaking to ants, and wouldn't mind setting us on fire... I shivered. "As your rulers, it is our duty to correct and punish dangerous persons. As such, we Lords will hear the grievances and concerns of you, our people.

"Each lord has taken time out of their busy schedule to attend to your needs, but our duties prevent us from speaking at length. Each dispute must be concise and presented elegantly. If such parameters cannot be met, then said persons will be punished." He pushed his glasses up and I felt the room grow colder still. "We are not here at your leisure; you are here at ours.

"Each of the six domains will be given one hour to lay all of its disputes at our feet. We will immediately decide the fate of those involved; verdicts will be carried out in a similar manner. All decisions made by a lord are final and law; any quarrel will be met with severe punishment. If, within the allotted hour, your complaints are not heard, you must await our next audience upon the next full moon." The man briskly turned and strode towards his seat. "Now then, If there is no one from the first domain who has a dispute, then I would like to continue with the next domain."

I gave Kaito a panicked glance and swallowed thickly. _Th... this is... insane..! My fate will be decided within only one hour...? And anyhow, which domain are we...? I've never heard that we were a domain, let alone that someone held dominion over us...!_

Suddenly Kaito shoved me. I hissed in outrage as Kaito pushed me into the light of the fires and spoke. "We are of the first domain and have a dispute to settle, my lord."

The tall man paused and glanced over his shoulder. He regarded us with cold loathing. I bit down on the gag. _I... I guess we're the first domain, huh...?_

"... what a surprise. It would seem you have subjects in need of your ruling, _Lord_ Shu." The man adjusted his glasses menacingly and took his seat with grace. I tensed. _Which one is this_ _ **Lord**_ _I'll be paraded before..?_ I sifted through the haughty expressions. _T_ _he red haired one seems especially pissed to be here... maybe it's him... or perhaps the strange boy with the stuffed toy..._

But, as the moments ticked by, none of them moved to declare my fate. _… was there a mistake...? Can I go home now...?_ Five aching minutes later, still, no one had moved.

" _Lord Shu!_ " The man with the glasses suddenly snapped. He was shaking visibly as he readjusted his spectacles. I recoiled at the sudden outburst and heard sounds of mixed responses from the other lords, varying from exasperation to amusement.

… _does this happen often...? It seems like he doesn't get too many visitors... that would explain why I'd never heard about him..._

Finally, someone raised their hand with a sigh. It was a man with a mess of slightly curled hair the color of sand who'd been slouching in his throne. If I hadn't known better... I'd guess he'd been sleeping, not just resting his eyes... but that wouldn't be becoming of a _lord..._ would it?

When his eyes opened, they were already locked sharply with mine. _Blue eyes...?_ Their color and intensity shocked me. _Like the sky..._ After a moment he closed them with a sigh.

"... so much noise for one woman..." He ran a hand through his already disorderly hair and glared down at Kaito with irritation. "State your purpose."

Shu's eyes and hair were strange; I'd never seen hair colors other than black and eye colors besides dark brown. Everything about this place was strange. I just wanted to vanish, slip free from my bindings and sprint into the forest. It didn't matter if I'd never find my way home; anything was better than this dark place... anyone was better than these freakish yet mystifying _Lords._

My eyes watered as Kaito pushed me to my knees under the heavy gaze of the audience and its irritable Lords. I felt naked, wearing only tired rags while everyone else wore silks and strange styles.

"This woman stole a calf from me." Kaito announced, sounding as comfortable as speaking to simple villagers. As if he'd known this _Lord Shu_ for years. The strange man lifted a thin brow and leaned his cheek on a hand.

"What? You came to me for that?"

Kaito didn't hesitate. "Yes. I came to offer her to you as a slave."

My eyes went wide at that. I whipped my head around to glare up at Kaito. He refused to meet my eye. I made an angry noise through the gag.

 _KAITO. Prisoner is one thing, death is another..! But I'm not a working mule, damn it..! I'm no_ _ **offering**_ _..!_

The light haired lord seemed bored by the idea. "A slave..? Why would I want _her_ for my slave...? She looks filthy."

That stung my pride. I swiveled my glare back at the arrogant prick in the chair and bit down on the gag. _Lovely. Then let me go; I'm_ _ **far**_ _too good to be a slave to_ _ **you**_ _._

"Because, I feel it is a fitting punishment for her crime." Kaito said and he finally met my glare. "She believed that her cow was worth more than just a cow because her attachment to it. Just as she believes she is more than a woman, by attempting to perform a man's job of cow herding. She should be introduced to the duties of a woman, since no one taught her. You see the way she dresses; she thinks she can fulfill the role of a man!"

A murmur went through the crowd of people and even the other lords shifted in their chairs. I felt cornered. And humiliated. And loathed myself..

… _I don't think I'm a man... I don't want to be a man..! I just want to help my family... is that so much to ask..?!_

"... she wears trousers..." A woman whispered. "How pitiful.."

"What a disgrace... if I caught my daughter in that I'd beat her bloody..." "Maybe she thinks she's better than others... what a wretch..." "... disgusting common blood..."

I closed my eyes and wished I could close my ears.

"... you're all so noisy. Be silent." Shu drawled tiredly. I refused to move. I just wanted it to be over... "Hey. Woman."

 _No... I don't want to be here... just kill me and be over with it..._

"Hm... or do you want to be called a man?" The tired man mused, drawing chuckles from the audience. "Hey, don't ignore me. Make her look at me, peasant. And remove that from her mouth. I have some questions."

 _Just let me die,_ _ **please.**_ _.!_

I screamed into the gag and struggled against Kaito's grasping hands. I wanted so badly not to cry; I wanted to be brave, not in tears. But when Kaito gripped my hair despite my struggles and yanked my head back I couldn't stop. I panted and glared through wet lashes at the smug look on the blond man's face. Kaito tugged the damp fabric from my mouth.

I immediately spat towards the arrogant _Lord Shu. Lord my ass.._ He raised an amused brow.

"Why did you take this man's cow from him?" He asked smiling vilely and resting a finger on his temple. I leered balefully. _You wouldn't understand... you probably kill people as easily as I breathe..._

I grit my teeth as the moments ticked by and his smile staled and finally vanished.

"Hey. Answer me." He leveled a heavy gaze on me then smiled again. "Depending on your answer, I might let you be my personal servant."

My temper boiled.

"I stole it because I HATE Kawamaru men! Because that calf was important to me! Because you can't just _trade lives_ like that! And because I think _ALL LIFE_ is precious!"

I didn't know I'd screamed it. Until the haze of anger faded, and I could still hear the echos of my own voice bounce around the stones of the audience chamber. I froze.

"I..." I wasn't sure what I wanted to say. Sorry? Hell no. Woops? Maybe.

I shut my mouth and pressed my lips together, praying that if I pinched them enough that the words would come back and I could swallow them with my pride. But they didn't. I prepared myself for violence. But it never came.

Instead, there was laughter. _Wicked_ laughter. Chilling and frightening. From all six lords in their thrones. They leered at me in amusement and I'd never felt more vulnerable in my life. I felt naked and judged. I wanted to cover myself with my hands and turn away. In my bones I felt the panicked thump of my heart, pounding so hard it hurt.

The laughter faded as blond man raised a lazy hand and smiled indulgently. He addressed Kaito. "Thank you, good citizen... My brothers and I will take great care to... _educate_ this young woman. It seems she is in dire need of guidance. You may leave her in our care."

Kaito bowed and made me do the same. "I pray she can become of use to you. And that you remember the Kawamaru family if she pleases you."

It all seemed so far away... their words. Kaito's grip on my hair... the cold stones under my knees... it was a world away.

All except his eyes. Blue and laughing.

… _I don't deserve this... I don't understand... I only wanted to help... to let Yuki have a good life... to let Haruka have a good life..._

"... it's not fair..." I whispered. Kaito was leading me from the cavernous chamber into further darkness. His hands were on my shoulders.

"... no, it's life, Aika..."

"Then I'd rather be dead, Kaito.."


	4. Flicker

Dark and cold. Those were the only things left. And they seemed alive. Shadows danced in the blackness, creeping and reaching for me with clawed fingers. Chills lightly caressed my damp skin, teasing my already freezing flesh. I shivered and my teeth chattered in my skull.

I stood alone in a cell. Kaito had dragged me down dark, narrow corridors, led by a torch bearing old man. He was silent as he marched me dutifully into the cold belly of the beastly castle. When the metal bars slammed shut, with me inside, I whispered his name, but he left without a second glance.

If I'd had any heart left, I would have been hurt. I would have felt abandoned.

But such feelings were beyond that of a prisoner... I rubbed my eyes. More dampness would only make me colder, and bring me one step closer to hypothermia.

Groping through the darkness, I discovered a small cot. But seeing how it took up half of the tiny cell, it wasn't hard to locate. I curled up on it, hugging my knees for warmth. There was no window in my cell, and there had been none on our lengthy journey down into the castle. The odds of escaping... were beyond me. I didn't even want to imagine how slim they were...

I was not tired. I was vividly awake. My veins burned dimly with adrenaline that urged me to find a way to escape... but I suppressed that urge.

… _running won't do me any good... not here... getting out of this castle is one struggle. Getting through the forest is another... good behavior is my only way out of here... isn't it...?_

I rubbed my eyes fiercely with my wrist.

 _I can't think of any other way...! If I just..._ _ **pretend**_ _to be a lady... to be proper, to..._ _ **obey**_ _them... then they'll let me go home... right..? That's what they wanted... to educate me... on being a lady..._ _ **right..?**_

Miserable and cold, I huddled up against the cold wall, praying that it would warm up soon.

… _it's very late, Aika... you're going to need your strength tomorrow... to face whatever nightmare these monsters have for you... sleep now, worry later... you have to make it... for Haru... for the people that... need.. you... home..._

I wasn't sure how long I'd slept. But I was awake when they came.

"... ugh... she kinda stinks..."

I kept my eyes shut and slowed my breathing.

"Hmm... that's true, but they're all the same inside, aren't they..?"

 _Maybe if they think I'm asleep, they'll go away..._

"Just hurry up, Ayato...! We're getting thirsty... right Teddy...?"

A grip on my shirt dashed my hopes of ignoring my company. _I can't just sit here!_ I sprang up. My shirt tore with a shrill _riiiip_ as I pulled away. I stared blearily, holding a hand up to the unwelcome light and holding my shirt up with the other.

Three men stood outside my cell, illuminated by a torch in the hand of one of them. The worst part was I recognized them... the short haired one with an irritated expression.. the purple haired one with the bear... the long haired one with the torch... Half of the Lords of the Forest were visiting my in my cell... how lucky could a girl get...?

"Ah! Ayatooo... you let her get away..." The shortest complained anxiously, hugging his bear with a sullen glare. "Now how will Teddy and I get a taste of her...?"

"Oi, come back here..! I haven't even done anything yet..!" The short haired one demanded, reaching through the bars for me, but I scrambled off of the cot and out of reach. He rose back up with a scowl. "You're going to disobey **me**..!?"

I stared up at them from the cold, stone floor, unsure of how to react. _W... what should I do..?! Should I let them do whatever it is they want...? Would that get me out of here, sooner..? Whatever it is... I'm not sure I'd like it, and I'm not sure I'm ready to be around these kinds of people... I just want to run away... I feel so cornered...!_

"Ayatoo, you're scaring her..." The one with the longest hair crooned, touching the shoulder of the one who reached for me. _So the angry one is Ayato..._ Ayato shook off the offending hand.

"Huh?! She _should_ be scared for pissing me off..!" He snapped, shifting his fierce glare to me. "Hey, get over here woman! What kind of a prisoner disobeys their master?!"

 _M... master..? Am I supposed to obey_ _ **all**_ _of these lords...? I thought the blonde one was my lord.. Ugh... this is all so confusing... I didn't know I had even_ _ **one**_ _lord before tonight..! Ahhh, I don't think I'll be able to handle being bossed around by so many people..!_

The one with long hair shook his head with a smile. The shorter boy made an irritated noise.

"Stupid Ayato, she's not used to having a master; she was under Shuu's dominion. You know he never taught his dolls how to behave." The little one with the bear said haughtily, drawing more angry noises from Ayato. "That's why we have to teach her how to place nice... right Teddy...?"

"Tch. You and your _dolls_..." Ayato muttered. "Everyone knows that the relationship between a lord and his humans is master and servant! She should be punished for disobeying someone as great as me!"

The long haired one chuckled. "... even if that's true, Ayato, one can catch more flies with honey.." He kneeled, holding the torch in one hand and reaching through the bars with the other. "Hey, what's your name, beautiful lady...?"

I stared at his hand uncertainly a moment before meeting his eyes again. Plainly rejecting his touch. "... Aika."

His smile betrayed a hint of annoyance before he rose to stand again. "See, Ayato? Results." He winked at the other man.

"Tch. Don't think you're better than me because I won't flirt with trash." Ayato glared at me. I bristled at his insult but swallowed my retaliation. "Oi. Don't think that these bars will keep you safe, cow! I could rip them out of this wall and tear you apart if I wanted to."

My jaw went slack and my eyes went wide. Staring up at his displeased visage, half glowing by hellish torch light, half obscured by shadow, it was easy to believe he was a demon... that he could actually do what he was saying. But that was insane; no man, no matter how noble or royal, could break solid metal with his bare hands...! I gathered my wits and grit my teeth with a glare. _Okay, confirmed for unfriendly, and possibly insane! Do not approach this guy..!_

The doll bearing one kneeled down, peering through the bars at me with excitement. "Hey... do you want to be my doll, Aika-Chan..? We could have lots of fun..!" He whispered creepily, extending a hand out towards me. I hesitated, staring at the hand before I shook my head. His hopeful expression vanished. In its place was outrage. "... you don't...? I offer you the chance to play with me and you won't take it!?"

I stared in shock. _He... he's throwing a tantrum..._ The long haired one had to hold him back as he pulled on the bars of my cell. I shouldn't have been afraid; I was on this side, and they were on that one... and yet, I heard the bars creek as he was pried away... and I wondered if the bars were just old...

"There, there, Kanato-Kun..." The long haired one said soothingly, patting the smaller boy's head, but Kanato didn't care, he continued to reach for me. "She's just scared, right now..."

"You filthy peasant! You don't deserve to play with Teddy and I! I'll rip your head off and stuff you with straw! _You're trash!_ " He shrieked wildly. Ayato watched the other lord with his arms crossed and an irritated expression.

"Tch. See? We should just rip the cell open and kill her now." Ayato said.

I felt my heart knock on my ribs. Like it wanted to leave my chest, it hammered against my bones.

"We could save us all some trouble... who wants a stinking cow like her hanging around our castle? It's obvious she's a lost cause..."

The way he's looking at me... I'm not even human to him... how can he talk about killing someone like that...? Does life really mean _nothing_ to royalty...?!

"Hmmm... maybe you're right..." The long haired one sighed. I turned to stare at him. His eyes gleamed in the fire light.

"Yeah! Kill her! Teddy wants her dead!" Hatred burned in his purple eyes.

Why was everything shaking...? Was the earth quaking...? Or was it just me..?

"Let's get this over with." Ayato said, reaching for the only thing that kept me away from them. _Run Aika._ I scrambled to my feet, knocking my shoulder on the cot in the process. I fell over again and failed to stand up a second time, but that didn't matter; there was nowhere I could go. I could reach out and touch both sides of my cell and there were too many of them. If they really did get in... if they really _were_ strong enough to break metal... _no... I have to make it back to Haruka..! I can't die here!_

" _ **How can you do this!?"**_

Ayato paused and looked at me dumbfounded. "Huh..?!"

… _did... did I say that...? It's too late to stop now...!_

"How can you do this to another human!?"

The three of them were silent, wearing similar looks of surprise.

"You and I are the same, aren't we!? We breathe, we eat, we sleep, we live we die; we're all the same! We're all humans! How can you just... _kill,_ like it doesn't matter?! What if someone did that to you; didn't your mother tell you to treat others how you wanted to be treated!? YOU CANT DO THIS TO ME!"

I was crying. I was shaking. I was terrified.

And I was being laughed at.

I stared up at them through the bars of my cell from the ground where I'd fallen. By the light of a torch, the three men chuckled nasty, mocking laughs. I couldn't take it. They were making fun of me... wasn't it enough that I was locked up, that I was taken from my home, that I didn't live a life of luxury? Did they have to torture me so...? I covered my ears and closed my eyes. Anything to not acknowledge this shitty existence.

… _have I died and gone to hell...?_

A hand closed around my arm, I gasped, but I couldn't hear it through my hands, yet my eyes opened wide.

A hole.

A hole in the cell bars.

That hadn't been there before.

And there hadn't been three men inside my cell before.

The torch was the only thing left outside my cell.

 _No.._

I screamed as they dragged me to my feet.

Hands were everywhere.

I flailed with everything I had, but no matter what I did, they stopped me.

 _H-how is this happening..?! Why?! WHY!?_

My wrists were in two strong hands...

Someone stood on my feet...

Two hard bodies pressed against my front and back...

 _There's no way... there's **no way**...!_

There were tears on my cheeks and all the while, their sick laughter was in my ears... their cold breath on my neck...

 _Make it stop...!_

A gentle grip on my chin turned my head.

"Hey, Bitch-Chan... if you stop struggling, I'll tell you something good..." An excited voice whispered. I put on my most hateful face and peered into the dim light. Green eyes, glowing with glee leered at me. He had a grip on my right wrist and held it up to his mouth. I bared my teeth and couldn't resist trying to pull it free. "Nfu... you just can't obey, can you...? We'll, I'll tell you a secret anyways..."

I winced and whimpered, doubling my struggles as my shirt was further ripped at the collar. "N-no! _Stop it..!"_

Their amused chuckles rumbled through their chests and into mine. Someone was pulling my shirt down around my shoulders. A cold damp sensation slid up my neck. I shuddered in disgust. _Get your hands off of me...! Please..._

"Listen carefully, would you..? I'm being generous." The long haired man slid my shirt's sleeve down my arm. My eyes snapped into a tearful glare when I felt the moistness of a kiss upon my wrist. He smirked and opened his mouth. Revealing...

"... fangs... are you...?"

"Vampires? Bingo~"

"You and I..." Ayato's breath fanned my neck where he'd licked it. "Aren't the same..."

Kanato's teeth scraped across my shoulder. "We're much... _much_ _better._.."

I screamed.


	5. Burn

Throughout my life, I'd been burnt a few times, usually when helping my mother cook. On one occasion I grabbed the wok too close to the pan and tossed our dinner onto the floor. I'd only held the hot metal a moment, but I had burns to show for it for days after. Not to mention we went hungry... but that would be beside the point.

The point was, touching that hot metal for an instant hurt. A lot. Being bitten was like holding the sizzling metal against my skin. If it was shaped like a knife. And you twisted it.

I was kicking and screaming.

" _STOP!"_

I struggled wildly. Gasping in pain as their fangs tore at my skin. As they gulped deeply. As they savored my suffering...

 _Please..! It hurts- I-I can't.._

I was drowning. Sinking in agony, at the churning and tearing and burning and sucking that dragged my strength out of me. I clung at it with desperate fingers, but... I felt my will slipping... my life dissolving like sugar in my hands, with each hard draw they took of my blood. _It burns... the sucking is worse than the fangs..._

The fangs that pierced my throat were agony. They pierced so deep... Ayato sucked so _roughly._ When he pulled his fangs from my neck I gasped. _Is it over...?_

It wasn't. I screamed when he dug into my shoulder, writhing in the fire of his bite.

I was delirious. "P-please s-st- _aah-_ p..!"

"Ahh... such nice sounds... maybe we could keep her...?"

I gasped.

"Tch... she's a poor vintage, Laito. Not worth the effort."

I whimpered.

"Yeah! Teddy won't be satisfied until we drink _all_ of her blood..! It belongs to us!"

I sobbed.

… _how can this happen...?_

More bites. Savage and merciless. My legs gave out, but it didn't matter. I was in their hands. I couldn't stop them...

 _I... I'm going to die... like this...? As food...how fitting... my life... traded for yours, Yuki... haha... I hope at least **you're** happy... all life is valuable... I should be happy... so why does it hurt so much...?_

"So loud... I could hear her screaming from the audience chamber..." A tired voice made the hands on me tighten painfully. My head spun, drowning under waves of agony, but I tried hard to listen...

Six fangs wrenched out of my aching flesh. I wanted to scream, but only a whimper was heard. I panted heavily. _I can't... catch my breath..._ Hungry hands held me tightly, wary of intruders. _I don't even... have the strength to stand... let alone fight..._ but I tried my hardest. My efforts were disregarded.

"... couldn't you allow me a taste before you tried to kill her...?"

I shivered. _I'm... so cold... so much blood..._ My vision was a haze, but I almost recognized golden hair in the torch light. _Who... is it...? Someone important... I'm... sure..._

"Tch. The good-for-nothing wakes up, just to ruin my fun..." Ayato's gruff voice was so loud... right in my ear.

"Stay away! We're punishing her for being disobedient...!" Kanato's voice was shrill... it made my head pound.

"Hnn... isn't she mine to punish, not yours...?" The tired voice was getting irritated..

"Shuuu-Kuuun, didn't your mother teach you to share...? We were having so much fun.." The effeminate voice belonged to the long haired one at my wrist.

"Tch... you brats..."

Everything hurt so much; it was too difficult to pay attention to their words. I stopped trying.

 _Ahh... all these voices... I just want to sleep... I just want to sink into the darkness... away from all this craziness..._

My vision swam nauseatingly. The word was growing darker, each moment... I closed my eyes.

… _far away from monsters and boogymen..._

"Oi." Strong hands held my shoulders. _Can't they just let me sleep...?_

"Oi! If you go to sleep now, you'll die... wake up."

… _but it's so cozy and dark..._

"... I'm going to set you on fire if you don't wake up."

… _that doesn't sound so cozy..._

Begrudgingly, I dragged myself from the comforting darkness, into the torch light that illuminated my personal hell. Everything was a soft orange and black blur... my eyes took a moment to adjust, but when they did, hollow relief washed over me.

There was only one man left in my cell, and it was the sleepy blond... _Shu... Lord Shu I think...?_ We were sitting on the cot in my cell... or what was left of my cell. Looking at the bars that were meant to keep me in, made my stomach roil. The metal hadn't stood a chance against three men... some were bent, spread apart like a curtain. Others had been snapped entirely.

Vividly, I realized that Ayato could have owned up to his promise of ripping me apart... I was awake. And somehow still alive.

"Th... they're gone..." I whispered and winced. My throat... it hurt just speaking. I lifted my hand to touch my aching neck and winced again. _My wrist..._ I half flexed my fingers before the pain shot up my arm. I stared at the two red dots on my wrist; they were ringed in an agitated red. My vision swam again, but this time with tears. _This... this is so fucked up... this is worse than any torture... Haruka... I'm not sure if your sister can make it..._

"Hnn... you're still bleeding..." The blond said, drawing my attention. I'd forgotten about him, but when I saw him looming over me, I couldn't imagine how I could. In the flickering light, he was so close, undeniably gorgeous, and... probably a vampire too. Yet rather than running and screaming, I sat, staring at him with round eyes. I was thankful to him for scaring the others off. But... maybe his intentions weren't as noble as _rescuing_ me.

 _I'm not sure.. what he wants..._ He certainly didn't appear kind. His mouth was unsmiling. His blue eyes were like ice; devoid of warmth and piercing as a icicles. They froze me to the bone. But when he touched my shoulder, I thawed.

Grateful or not, I pulled away from him quickly; my shoulder was a tender plane of agony, not a place for probing fingers. I made a pained face and pushed at his hand, trying to communicate without the pain of speaking. _Please don't... couldn't you be a kind lord...? I've had enough of this nightmare..._

He gave me a cold look and ignored my silent plea. Taking my damaged wrist into his hand, he pulled me close. I gasped in pain and couldn't help struggling, even though each move ached.

" _Please...!_ " I whispered desperately. He ignored me.

Fire raced from my shoulder down to my toes. A scream clawed its way up my throat, only to be shoved back down by his smothering hand. I was free to fight again, but... _I've lost so much blood... I can't fight... the darkness is coming again... I.. I don't want to be burned... please.._

"... so noisy... don't be so dramatic..." His voice rumbled through my bones. The pain faded to an ache and I tiredly dragged my consciousness from the dark. "I was just licking the wound... you would have bled out."

… _b._. _blood..._ Some of mine was on his chin. My eyes swelled with tears.

"... vampires..." I muttered, staring at the wound on my wrist... _I thought_ _it had stopped bleeding surprisingly quick.. it must have been their saliva... which explains why he licked the wound._ I touched the dampness on my neck.

"Hn... I'd like to say that's a secret... but some of my brothers are... less discrete than others..." He reclined on my cot, closing his eyes. "Regardless... since you have that information, your chances of leaving this place alive are... _dead."_

I sat silently. Teetering on the edge of surrender... on the edge of giving up... everything was so cold.

"... he sent me here... to be food... didn't he...?" A tear rolled down my cheek. But I didn't care. I was beyond pretending to look brave. I was bruised and battered and there was blood on my torn bedclothes. I'd never felt so low in my life... tears were more than appropriate. _Haruka isn't here to see his big sister cry... so it's okay... out of everything that's wrong, crying is okay..._

I touched my forehead with my undamaged hand. I was shaking.

"Hmm... it's possible he was aware... that is, if he had contact with other domains..." He kept his eyes closed as he spoke. I gave him a tired glance. He was smirking to himself. "He certainly didn't obtain that info while under my dominion." He opened his eyes and stared up at the ceiling. "You two are the first I've had in... twenty five years."

 _This man..._ _He's been a lord for more than twenty five years old... yet he doesn't even look a day over twenty..._ I turned away. _They're all monsters... all of them._ _I almost died... three monsters almost killed me... and another is here... having a conversation._

"So... what now...?" I asked quietly. There was a hollowness in my chest. "... will you try to kill me, too...?"

He took a moment to reply.

"Hmmmm... that _is_ an option... but after going through the trouble of stopping those three..." He sighed and opened an eye. "Listen closely, woman. Don't start thinking you're important to me; I don't care about your life. You're only alive because it is entertaining to me..."

He sat up smoothly. I recoiled from his sudden closeness, but he grabbed my aching wrist. I flinched in pain and he smirked in the dim torch light. "... your views, your morals... they're so stupid... it makes me want to crush them." He squeezed my wrist and I struggled to reign in a hiss of pain. I glared hatefully. _He's just as much of a monster as the other three, isn't he..?!_ _No..._ _ **worse**_ _._

"But mark my words..." His smile faded, replaced by a cold glare. "... as soon as you become a nuisance, I'm done with you."

He casually released my wrist and reclined on the cot. I was shaking. Rubbing my wrist and trembling with fury. _H... how...? How can someone play with lives like this!? You think you can throw me away whenever I stop pleasing you..?! I'm not a toy! I'm ALIVE._

Heat swelled in my chest and boiled behind my eyes. I was seething. He was laying there so carelessly after threatening me... it was _so_ hard not to strike him. But I reigned in that urge, gathering it and holding it tightly in my heart for later...

"... so what do you _want_ from me...?" I tried to keep my trembling from my voice. But it was impossible. He opened a disinterested eye. "... what _qualifies_ as not being a _nuisance_ to you...? How shall I entertain you!?"

He closed his eyes with a scowl. "Tch... start by keeping your voice down.. If I wanted a loud eyesore I'd spend more time with Reiji... that aside..." He sat up again, quick and glaring. "You're pretty ungrateful, aren't you?" He grabbed my wrist harshly, pulling me onto the cot, I struggled angrily, but I was pinned beneath him regardless. I stared up at him in a mix of shock and hatred. _How did he-_

"I saved your life just now, didn't I? First, when they tried to suck you to death." He pressed his thumb cruelly into the marks on my neck. _Nnn..!_ "Second, when I sealed your wound." His tongue trailed up my neck before I could react. I froze, wide eyed. "And again every second... when I don't drain you myself..." His lips touched my neck tenderly.

Heat rushed up my neck and into my cheeks. _H... he k-kissed me...!? This... this can't happen..!_ I struggled against his hard hands that pushed my wrists into the hard cot. "S-stop..! Please!" _You bastard..!_

"Hnn...? Shouldn't you be thanking me...?" He raised himself off me, glaring reproachfully. "You should be offering your self to me as thanks for rescuing you... not pushing me away."

He looked thoughtful for a moment before smiling cunningly. Drawing close, he dropped his voice to a husky whisper. "Oh... or is it you _wanted_ them to drink your blood...? Did you enjoy feeling their fangs _inside_ _you_...?" I stared at the ceiling in horror at the memory of fire.. my wounds ached. He nuzzled my neck with a chuckle. I stopped breathing. "... does the thought of being enjoyed by three men excite you...?"

… _excite me..?_ Fangs in me. Blood and screaming. Their chuckling in my ear.

"... should I call them back to finish you off...?"

My heart pounded in panic. "... _no_..."

"... no...?"

"N.. no please... thank you..!" I said in a rush, trying to get the words out, but they wouldn't come fast enough. "Thank you.. for... _saving_ me.. _please_ don't..."

He pulled away, displeased. "And who are you thanking..?"

I wasn't sure what he meant, but I had to answer. "Uh... you..?"

He raised a critical brow. "Then shouldn't you say _My Lord_...?"

I recoiled at the thought. I wasn't as eager to say those words. Fumbling with my pride, it took a moment to begrudgingly stow it away... for later. "... thank you... my lord..."

He pulled away from me with a sigh, sitting back on his heels. "You really have no manners at all, do you... what a pain..."

He rubbed his neck tiredly and yawned. The tension was dispelled. "Maybe Reiji would be better for this job... I don't even attend lessons, let alone teach them..."

 _Tch... this guy really is lazy, isn't he...?_ As fear was replaced with loathing, I began to gingerly creep out from under him. Immediately he fixed me with a glare and I had regrets.

"... I'm being so kind... and yet you still trying to escape...?" His voice was low and dangerous. I swallowed hard, shaking my head.

"N-no... sorry..."

His eyes narrowed further. ".. who are you saying sorry to..?"

"You! I mean... I'm sorry, my Lord...?" I ventured uncertainly. _Damn.. this My Lord spiel feels so weird...!_

He gave me a tired look before yawning again. "Ahhh.. I really don't have the patience for this sort of thing..."

… _is keeping me against my will too much of an effort for you...?_ I looked away and narrowed my eyes. "... you could always release me. Then you wouldn't have to deal with _any_ of this..."

He scoffed quietly. "Hnn. You're not getting out of this so easily." His cold fingers startled me as they turned my chin. His eyes glittered in the soft light. "Not until your will crumbles beneath my fingers.. not until you lay your pathetic beliefs at my feet... not until you _beg_ me to take your blood... like the worthless human you are."

I glared in disgust as his finger brushed across my lips. "Ahh.. what a nice image... your tearful eyes and trembling lips..." He drew closer. I remembered how to move, but too late. His hand slid behind my neck. "... it makes me thirsty."


	6. Growl

I felt him inhale against my neck. I was frozen and disgusted. The raw, aching memory of fangs in my flesh kicked me into action.

"N _-no-"_ I gasped, breathless. His lips were cold and damp. I thrashed in his unyielding grip frantically seeking escape but he pulled me closer. My shoves were ineffective, my arms felt useless; panic rushed through my veins as I groped wildly at my evaporating hope. All sensibilities fled and my mouth ran wild. "I-I'm not your **dinner**! Y-you can't just **do** this- I'm Aika Tsukimura! _Stop!_ _ **Don't touch me**_ _!_ "

I was going insane; he was too close..! _I don't want to be bitten!_ I couldn't move. _Please..!_ Trembling, my shaking hands managed to seal his mouth, wedged tightly between his lips and my neck. _I don't want to be food; it hurts so much..!_

He froze. And I froze. I was gasping. I counted four frantic heartbeats before I couldn't contain my rampant stupidity. Panic bubbled up my chest and out my mouth.

"D-don't do it! Or else I'll pass out and you'll have to carry me! O-or- if I die you won't-"

Suddenly _my_ mouth was covered. He pressed his cold palm over my face and glared me down with frosted fire. My eyes were wide. He easily pulled my hand from his lips and pressed it into the cot. _His skin is so cold..._ I didn't resist. I was scared.

"... you're getting _very_ annoying.."

For once, he sounded fully awake. And immediately, I knew that wasn't a good thing... with his drowsiness gone, churning resentment stirred behind his alert eyes. He spoke quietly, but his intense hostility cut me deeper than any knife. I felt vulnerable, trapped beneath him. He narrowed his eyes.

"... I should _drain_ you and be through with this charade..."

… _d... drain me...? As in kill me...?_ My heart ached with sudden longing for my family. They would be so devastated... _if I were to die_... I closed my eyes against the tears. _But maybe it would be the best solution... this is so_ _ **disgusting.**_ _.. I don't know if I can handle any more of this degrading biting..!_

Giving in would have been much easier than fighting. But Shu didn't sink his teeth into my neck. Instead, he sighed. "... don't look so pitiful... it's a pain."

I wasn't sure what he meant. But I didn't have time to wonder. With inhuman speed, he rose and pulled me to my feet. I gasped as my knees gave out under my sudden weight, leaving me dangling by the wrist he held in his cold grip. He sighed again, rubbing his neck.

"Tch... you're a never ending bother, woman..." He muttered, dropping me onto the floor. I winced in pain as I collapsed. "... hey. Just because I've decided not to kill you _now_ doesn't mean I'll be so generous later." He nudged me indifferently with his foot, drawing a glare from me. "You're just so noisy.. I don't want to deal with your screaming right now..."

The biting cold of the stones against my skin soothed my fevered panic. As fear faded, resentment was quick to resume its dominance in my heart; it was comfortable there. I grit my teeth as I forced myself to stand on shaking legs. My breaths were uneven and I swayed twice, but even so, by standing on my own I was able to gain _some_ form of control. The ground was under my feet and my heart was beating; it was a good place to start regaining my footing.

The monster watched me with an arched brow before shrugging.

"Follow me... and don't be a bother, or else I'll leave you behind. I don't have the energy to drag you..." He muttered, turning and stepping through the wreckage of the cell bars. I hesitated, swaying. _I... I should follow him... there are other monsters here... but even knowing that, I don't want to be around him...!_ He didn't pause as he began his even strides into the darkness. "Hn... you stay here if you want to, woman... but I promise those three will be back..."

Hearing that voiced made my legs follow after him. Whether I wanted them to or not. I picked up the torch as I passed it.

"No. Leave that." He said sharply. I was surprised by his forcefulness. When I looked up, I realized he was awake again; his eyes were bright as he stared from the shadows. _He's two completely different people, isn't he...?_ Cautious, I put it down slowly and he closed his eyes. Satisfied, the lion inside him went back to sleep. Turning, he continued walking. "We won't need it."

I swallowed thickly, giving the fire one last glance before scurrying after him. _What is wrong with this guy...? Oh right. He's a_ _ **monster**_ _. There's probably_ _ **plenty**_ _of things wrong with him..._ I pushed down my uneasiness as I followed him. But as the light faded entirely behind me, all that was left was the steady sounds of his shoes on the stones. And I found it harder to press the unease into the back of my mind.

 _Click... click... Click.. click..._

I felt the shadows closing in around me. Like a thick, smothering blanket. I was already fighting to stay upright, in complete dark, it was even harder to stand; I couldn't tell what was up, and what was down. Claustrophobia gripped me and I couldn't stop myself from reaching out for him. When I touched him, he paused, making me run into his back.

"S-sorry, I.. can't see.." I murmured, as if I should be embarrassed that I didn't have night vision. I frowned bitterly. _Why are you saying sorry, Aika..?_

"Hmph." He said quietly after a moment. "That's fine... cling to me. You're learning your place, woman. The sooner you understand that I'm your only hope in this place, the better..."

He resumed walking as if he hadn't scalded my ego. I let his shirt slip through my fingers and stared into darkness. I scowled hideously, rage boiling through my aching veins. _Oh... is that so...?_ I marched after him, staring down at the black nothingness. _It's too bad I already know my place. I know it's with my family, taking care of them... it's you who's going to learn..._ _ **you're**_ _the one who's mistaken...!_

I closed my eyes, fists shaking. _I... I'm not sure I can pretend to obey these monsters... my pride won't let me, will it...?_ My eyes pricked and I rubbed them furiously, sullenly following his echoing footsteps. _I'm not sure how this is going to end for me... my disobedience will probably get me killed... and poor Haruka... and mother and father... I won't see them again..._

Tears rolled down my cheeks, slipping through my fingers overflow from a dam of misery. _Damn it, Aika..! Why can't you just be obedient! PRETEND! Your family needs you, and your stupid pride won't let you save them..! Why are you so weak, Aika...?_

"Tch." I froze. His voice was too close. _When did he stop walking?_ "What a pathetic woman. Crying in front of a man..? What a disgrace..."

My cheeks blazed as I took a step back. _Shit..! He can see in the dark, can't he..?!_

"Oh..? What a face." I flinched as his cold fingers touched my chin, tilting it up. Instinctively and furiously I pulled away. He chuckled cruelly. _Th-this monster... he's enjoying playing with me, well I've had enough of his games..! Cut to the chase!_

"So what now...? What is going to happen to me?" _He said they were going to 'educate' me on my 'place'. How does this bastard imagine he'll do that?!_

"Ahhh... you really never shut up..." His voice ebbed as he turned away in the darkness. He was probably rubbing his neck in that lazy way he did. "Hn... this is all such a bother... where should I start with you...?"

I scowled, following his lazy steps with loathing. I didn't like feeling like a bother, especially when I was _forced_ to be one in the first place...!

"Ahh... I know. First we'll get that peasant stink off of you.. you reek. I can barely stand to be within fifty feet of you..."

I stopped in my tracks, mouth indignantly agape. _It's not_ _ **my**_ _fault I work for a living, damn it..! If I'd known I was going to be around such_ _ **refined**_ _**monsters**_ _, maybe I would have freshened up...! Pff... but not likely..._

"... after that, we need to get you properly outfitted in servant garb..." He continued thoughtfully. I scowled at the idea, but quickly schooled my expression when his walking stopped echoing. His voice turned towards me, and I knew he was watching me with those cold eyes. "Listen, human. You're going to be a servant here, but you will be _my_ servant, do you understand?"

… _**yours**_ _..?! As in a_ _ **belonging?!**_ His steps slowly approached me and I froze up. Teeth grit together, I wrestled with the urge to back away like a frightened animal, but when he touched my chin I couldn't stop. Gasping in panic I pulled away. _I don't belong to_ _ **anyone**_ _..!_

A hard shove on my chest, quickly pulled me off of my feet and a forceful hand held my neck. My eyes went wide in the dark as my lungs surrendered precious air on impact with a wall behind me. My hands closed around his wrist, but other than that I didn't move. I didn't struggle; he wasn't strangling me. _Yet._ His palm pressed against my rising and falling collar bones, and his fingers touched the straining skin of my throat, but he didn't squeeze. He wasn't trying to kill me, but the warning was there... it said _I hold your life in my hand._ And I wasn't stupid enough to not hear it. I closed my eyes in resigned fury.

"Tch... stop fighting... it makes you such alluring prey... that sort of thing is going to get you into trouble..." His cool breath brushed across my neck. I cringed and reflexively squeezed his wrist, longing to shove him away. But he didn't try anything more. He continued calmly. "There are many humans in this castle; slaves, prisoners and blood bags. We lords take what we want from them, and honestly you have no right to reject any of us... But this is a special case. You are still a citizen of my domain, here under my tutelage, not a slave to our castle so that means you belong to _me_..."

Heat threatened to burst in my cheeks. The heat of _fury._ _So you want me to be your_ _ **personal**_ _bloodbag... how romantic, Shu-Sama. I'm flattered._ I held my tongue on a strained leash.

"That being said..." His voice retreated a fraction. "Those three brats will definitely try to get at you again... when that happens, just try not to die. It's a bother, but struggling excites them, and it's too much trouble to save you each time your running makes them chase you..."

 _S-struggling excites them..?! And I can't run from them?! And y-you're just gonna let them.. do_ _ **that**_ _again!? You're not gonna stop them!?_ I couldn't reign in my outrage. It lashed out wildly. "Th-then what am I supposed to do..?!"

"Tch... such poor manners..." He closed his fingers around my throat for a moment; I flinched ruefully. "Hnn... but honestly... considering their personalities, I suggest submitting to them... after all, you are just a human woman.. if you pretend to be dead, they'll go away."

I felt sick. _As appealing as that idea sounds... I'm not sure I'll be able to stomach "_ _ **submitting**_ _to them," Shu-Kun..._

"But." His voice turned hard, and again, his fingers curled for a moment. I felt fear splashed across my face. The cold of his palm seeped into my bones and sunk into my heart as his voice drew close and his breath sifted through my hair. "Do _not_ imagine developing a relationship with them... I will not tolerate _my_ prey being stolen away by a foolish younger brother..."

My head spun at his proximity and I couldn't stop the panic from bubbling up and out of my mouth. "Y-younger brother...? You mean those three are related to you..?!"

He was quiet a moment, and his grip slackened. "My half brothers... they're triplets."

… _triplet vampires..?_ The idea mystified me. "So you're the eldest... then why don't they listen to you?"

His fingers slipped from my throat entirely and I heard his heel click as he took a step away. Only one step. I was still trapped, even if I couldn't see the threat in the dark.

"Hnnnnn..." He grumbled tiredly. I could imagine him rubbing his neck and grimaced. ".. it's too much of a bother to control my brothers... pureblood vampires are so willful..."

I made an irritated face in the dark. _And I'm_ _ **not**_ _willful...? Somehow that hurts my feelings._

"Oh..? Are you wondering why I'm bothering to play with you...?" He chuckled curiously. I jumped in shock as his fingers touched my jaw, tilting my face up. I gasped at the touch and froze as I felt his breath on me again. The dark was so disorienting...! I didn't know how to move or when he was going to touch me; it was maddening! "Because, little girl. Taming a pathetic woman...? That shouldn't be too difficult." His fingers lightly trailed down my neck, pausing at my racing pulse. Goosebumps rose on my cold skin. "... breaking your feeble will should be easier than training a puppy... and when that happens, you'll _beg me_ to drink your blood.."

I was trembling. At first in fear. But then in fury. _Oh, I'll beg you...?_ I glared blindly into the dark. But even if I couldn't glare exactly into his pompous leer, I glared whole heartedly. _We'll see... you might think you've won. I might put on a show of being the person you want me to be... but I'll never be anything other than Aika Tsukimura. Deep down inside, where it counts, I'll still resent you... I'll still be the same person! No matter how much it hurts... because my family needs me... and no one but Aika Tsukimura, the cross-dressing woman, can save my family!_

"Oh...? Such an angry face... are you trying to scare me away?" I was amusing him. And nothing pissed me off more.

 _I'm not your pet! I won't do tricks for your enjoyment!_ I ignored his question, heat churning in my chest and stupidity bouncing around my head. "How did you become vampires...?"

He was silent a moment. "You ask so many annoying questions..." His mirth evaporated and his hand dropped back to rest on my chest. His voice dripped with loathing. "What, are you dreaming of immortality? Do you too crave this endless night, you _worthless_ human..?"

I couldn't take it anymore. I slapped his hand away. "No! I want to know how to **avoid** becoming a monster..! Now that I've been bitten.. I won't start trying to kill people for food, will I..?!"

Surprisingly, he pulled away. His shoes clicked twice in the dark. Even more surprisingly, he answered my question. "Hn... no... something as simple as that wouldn't turn you... or else there would be _many_ more of us running around... it would be a pain." He sighed in the dark. "No, becoming a vampire is not that easy... The six of us lords were _born._ So don't you fret your little head; you're staying worthless and pathetic until the day you _die_ , human."

My stupidity reached its highest point of the night when I next opened my mouth. "... I'd rather be worthless and pathetic.. than... than being a mindless killing _monster!"_

I felt the air around me drastically chill. And regret gripped my heart. _God damn it, Aika..._

"Hn... you're a little too confident, aren't you...?" He muttered sourly. His hand roughly shoved me against the stone, truly strangling me this time. My eyes went wide. My nails clawed at his unyielding flesh. My head felt too full. "A human calling me a monster to my face... are you _trying_ to get bitten?"

I cringed at the acute ache where one of his brothers had pierced my throat. I was making pathetic noises, but I couldn't stop. _Y-you've really.. done it this time Aika...!_

"Hah... are you already addicted to the pain? What a perverted woman.." He murmured excitedly. With a sigh he released his crushing grip on my throat and I gasped for breath. I was too busy grabbing for air to fight as he wove his fingers into my hair. "Well... I guess it can't be helped... prepare yourself for your first punishment."

The first touch of his teeth awoke my sensibilities. "N-no! Stop it Shu-"

"No." He cut firmly. "... stop misbehaving and I won't have to do this anymore..."

He drew the needles of his fangs across my tender throat and I couldn't stop myself. Insanity frayed my mind. I shoved him away from me with all my strength. "STOP IT! I'm not your food, damn it! I'm **alive**! You can't do this to me! You can't just-"

My head hit the stone with a bang that reverberated through my tender skull. My eyes rolled in pain and I gasped, but his hand smothered the sound. My brain felt like a violently splashed puddle, echoing with waves of agony. Was my head cracked? I couldn't tell. But the vampire pinning me to the wall didn't give me a chance to check.

"Be. Silent."

The lion was awake.

I didn't need to see his eyes to know it this time. That I had stirred a monster.

"You are nothing more than a meal to me; something tasty that _happens_ to move. What happens to _food_ in the process of a meal doesn't matter; do _you_ worry about the state of your soup when you stir it..? No? Then don't expect me to worry for your safety..." I was keenly aware of his breath on my neck. My head swam and my knees shook. My eyes were stinging hopelessly. "If you keep struggling, I'm going to make it _very_ unpleasant for you, woman... so hold still while I rob you... you can't escape my fangs..."

I couldn't stop the gross tears that rolled from my eyes and gathered at his hand that smothered my air. I couldn't stop from trembling as he tilted my head to expose my throat to him. I couldn't stop from whimpering. It was pitiful to me... and apparently to him as well.

He sighed. "... your tears are getting in the way... annoying." Suddenly, he pulled away entirely. I collapsed in a loathsome heap. "Tch. I've lost my appetite.. let's go. The sooner we get this over with, the sooner I can sleep..."

I was numb. And in shock. _How many times... has he almost bitten me...?_ I looked down into the homologous black. I felt too weak to stand. _How many times have I been on death's door step in one night...?_ I wiped my cold, damp cheeks with trembling fingers. _I'm not sure what his lenience means... but I doubt it's out of kindness..._

"Hurry up... or I'll leave you behind."

On stumbling legs, I chased after his echoing footsteps. _Come on, Aika...! Can't you just be glad he's not biting you..!? Stop trying to provoke the blood sucking monster, damn it..!_

* * *

Ahhhhhhh..! I re-wrote this one sooooo many times...! And the story is progressing a lottttt slower than intended, so I'm sorry..! Haha, I keep expecting each chapter to have twice as much content as it ends up having.. but oh well. I'm not unhappy with this, even if it's a little more drawn out than I imagined it would be. c :


	7. Stagger

Girls always made me uncomfortable. They were so fragile, and always cried when I would play too roughly with them. As a result, I never had any female friends, and that distressed my father. _Why don't you play with those nice girls down the road?_ _Why don't you wear dresses? Why don't you stay out of the mud?_ He would ask. But he never forced me change.

My mother was worse. _Come here and let me fix your hair. Look how cute this bow is! You got dirt on your blouse, how unlady like of you, Aika! How will you ever get a husband?_ But even with all her nagging and all her attempts to wrangle me into a dress, she always relented. She let her _"wild daughter"_ have her way.

But now I see that my parents were too soft. They mistook their kindness and lenience as helping me, when really they had crippled me. They left me unprepared. Unaccustomed to effeminate women and to the terrors of wearing a dress and all the inconveniences that came with them.

So I really wasn't sure how to react to Hilde.

"Tch. How are _you_ still alive..?!" She snapped the moment Shu had closed the door. "I was certain you'd be sucked dry by now..."

 _Hilde is a strange name_.. I decided, watching her grab my wrist to inspect the marks there. I winced slightly as the fresh wounds ached.

"Well, it certainly _looks_ like someone tried to drain you... I'm astonished you're still standing; you've got some stamina, I'll give you that." She commented, flinging my hand back to me. If I was less tired, I would have been offended by her handling.

But everything was just strange... especially Hilde. She was very pretty; I'd never seen a woman with red hair before, but she was _very_ rude. But her aside, I _felt_ strange, too. My head felt light, and the world kept rocking, I had to cling to the stool I sat upon to stay upright. _It must be all that blood that I lost..._

"So, who did it?" She demanded, arms crossed. "Was it Ayato?! Or maybe Kanato... no. It must have been that Shu. Hmm, you must have had it rough in his domain, huh..?"

I didn't answer. She was talking too fast, I could barely keep up with her high pitched voice and quick tempo. She was making my head throb... but at least she wasn't a vampire. Right..? Well, annoying or not, I was stuck with her.

After an hour of wandering around in the darkness, Shu had somehow found the room she was in and shoved me into it. Hilde had let out a surprised shout, but had curtsied and blushed prettily for Shu when she recovered from the shock. Shu left her with orders to clean, feed and dress me, before cruelly abandoning me to Hilde and her torturous interrogation... even though he _also_ ordered her to tell any of the other lords that I was off limits, I still found the energy to silently loath Shu.

Huffing in irritation, Hilde grew tired of my silence, and spun on her heel to begin the work Shu had tasked her with. She bustled around the small room we were in, gathering items from shelves and drawers as she chattered incessantly. I tried my hardest to listen, but it was difficult.

I came to gather that she cared for someone named Laito, and that he liked her the best. Or so she said...

"Ohhh, he's the most handsome and caring lord of all..!" She sighed dreamily, pausing her work to hold her blushing cheeks. I stared at her, puzzled. _Did she just say... caring and lord in the same sentence...?_ "But! Don't begin to think of swearing your blood to him! He has refined, exotic tastes, okay?!"

I could only stare and nod numbly. _Believe me... I'm not interested in 'swearing my blood' to anyone... let alone whoever Laito is.._ Hilde didn't seem too satisfied by my silent answer, but she huffed again and continued her work, this time drawing water from a hand pump into a bucket.

"Hmph... you probably won't even last long enough to find a proper master..." She muttered. "Especially if you keep having threesomes every night, miss greedy..!"

That stirred me. _Okay, that's enough rudeness._ "Look, it's not like I asked for it.."

She paused, looking up at me in surprise, before grinning an unpleasant grin. "Ohh, so you _can_ talk. Well, whether you _vocally_ asked for it or not doesn't matter. The fact that you don't have a master is asking enough!"

I was about to snap at her, when she suddenly pulled off the ruffled collar around her neck. I gasped. The stool clattered to the floor behind me.

"If you don't have a specific master, then these lords will bleed you dry in a day..." She stroked her neck lovingly. If I had any food in me, I would have puked. Her slender throat was columned in bite scars. _Terrible_ marks made her throat look like a white field, tilled by fangs. Red and brown blotches ran up and down the sides of her neck. It was ghastly. Yet she touched the marks with adoration. I was horrified. "These are Laito-Sama's bites... they mark me as his, and no one else is allowed to touch me... unless he wants them to, that is.."

She giggled insanely, and I couldn't take anymore. I made a dash for the door, but my head reeled, and darkness overwhelmed me. I woke up to a cold floor on my cheek and her high laughter in my ear.

"Woah, there, slow down! I know you probably want to find a master as soon as possible, but no one's going to want you smelling like _this.._!" She cackled, grabbing my arm and pulling me up. "And don't pass out on me; I'm not bathing you, _and_ dragging you to your bed, okay..?!"

I rubbed my spinning head. _Tch... it hurts so much... and I feel so weak... is this really because of blood loss...?_

"Look, I know you're suffering from all that blood they took from you.." Hilde gently tucked a hair behind my ear. I gave her a suspicious look. "You'll need to make sure you eat well so that you don't die, okay..?"

She rose and strode towards the door, pausing with it open. "If you died too soon, it would be boring!"

She laughed cruelly and I glared with loathing. That seemed to amuse her. _This woman is vile..._

"I'll be back with your dinner; it's not going to be anything fancy, but you'll have to deal with it until the kitchens open tomorrow night. In the mean time, wash yourself with that bucket of water and soap and get dressed with the clothes on the right." She paused before closing the door behind her. "Oh, and I'm locking the door. So don't even _think_ of running away."

I scowled, and sure enough, when she closed the door, there was a resounding _click_ of a lock. I glared at the ground.

 _What an infuriating woman... I'd hoped that we could be allies, that we could help one another get out of this hell... yet she seems to_ _ **enjoy**_ _it here..._ I shook my head. _How is that even possible... these monsters are slowly eating her alive, and she smiles while they kill her._

I rose onto shaky legs and set about my tasks with great difficulty. It felt good to get the grime of three days in a cage off of my skin, even if the water was cold.

 _So, Aika... how are you going to get yourself out of_ _ **this**_ _one...?_ I thought bitterly. I couldn't even begin an escape plan; everything seemed so hopeless... first of all, I could barely stand due to blood loss. Second of all, it didn't look like I was going to find any help in other humans. Thirdly, the castle was _huge_ , and that wasn't even mentioning the forest beyond it... and worst of all, were the fucking monsters trying to suck the life out of me!

I paused, touching my forehead with a sudsy hand. I was glaring so hard that it was giving me a head ache... I groaned, deciding I was clean enough. Gingerly toweling off, I tried not to move too quickly, or else risk passing out again.

 _It looks like my only hope is... is..._ I thought back to the scars on Hilde's pretty little neck. I found myself touching the bite on my own throat and flinched. It ached terribly... _No. There's no way I could allow that to happen to me..! Aika Tsukimura isn't a late night snack, she's a human being!_

I had just pulled the white dress I'd been supplied as I heard the lock on the door click. The door opened, revealing Hilde balancing a tray of food on one hand and holding a candle in the other. "Are you just going to gawk, or are you going to follow me to your room? Oh, and bring your clothes with you."

I glowered at her bossiness, but gathered the clothes she'd supplied me and followed her nonetheless. The halls were lit with torches where we walked. I braided my dripping hair as I wondered why they hadn't been lit where Shu and I had traveled... _I suppose the vampires don't need light to see, right..? So only us humans need torches..._ I began to recognize signs of life the longer we walked down the fire lit hall. I heard quiet voices from a couple of the many, many doors, and sometimes one was ajar, revealing a tired face.

I hadn't realized how badly I craved intelligent human interaction until I came to see those gaunt cheeks and empty eyes. But as soon as I realized I had the urge, company with the available humans didn't seem terribly desirable. _I wonder if all of them are as brainwashed as Hilde is...? Or is she some special brand of crazy..._ I watched her skeptically. _Maybe it's contagious.._

When Hilde paused at a particular door, she raised her brow expectantly. I glowered, uncertain of what she wanted.

"Well, open it!" She snapped.

I scowled, but did as she ordered, letting her saunter in before me. _I'm only doing it because your hands are full... your manners really are horrible..._

The room she had led me to was small, as expected. But, unexpectedly, it had a desk, chair and a comfortable looking bed. She laid the candle and tray of food on the desk before turning to me, hands on her hips.

"Look, new girl. We have a few ground rules in the servants quarters. First!" She held up her fingers as she counted. "Keep down the noise. Many of us have different sleeping schedules to accommodate the lords, so don't wake anyone up! Second! Keep it tidy in here; Reiji-Sama likes to run random inspections. If anything is out of place, it will result in _severe_ punishment. Third! You are only to use your room for rest; if you cannot find work to do, then someone else will. And finally..."

Her expression softened from aggressive to something that might have been sadness on another person's face. "You are not permitted to disobey a lord. Failure to obey will result in punishment at his discretion... up to and _including_ death."

The words weighed heavily on me. They settled in the pit of my stomach and drained away all warmth. _This is your worst nightmare, Aika..._

A sudden snap drew my attention. It was Hilde's fingers. Her irritated expression was back. "Hey. What's your name, anyhow?"

I shifted uncomfortably, but somehow the words gave me strength.. "... my name is Aika Tsukimura."

She lifted her chin. "Huh. Pretty. Well get some rest, Tsukimura. You've got a long night ahead of you and I'm not sure when we'll meet again.. or _if_ we will."

She laughed as the door closed behind her. And even though I probably hated her, I was left feeling much colder without her... I rubbed my shoulders, unaccustomed to leaving them bare, and approached the desk. Running my fingers through my damp bangs, I sighed.

"So, Aika... welcome to prison." I murmured bitterly, quietly pulling the chair out and taking a seat.

Dinner consisted of rice and some form of beef. I curled my lip. Some form of _cow_ was more like it... Yuki's big eyes came to mind. But instead of feeling comforted, I felt a crushing regret. I held my head.

 _What a hero... you rescued Yuki, Aika... and it's doomed you... and maybe your family, too. Aren't you proud..?_ I shook my head clear of those thoughts. They were poison... I ate my rice, noting that everything tasted bitter. _Save your self pity for later... you have to work on getting out of here as fast as possible..! Every minute you waste sulking, your family is waiting..._

 _Okay, start from the top, Aika. What is your current situation? You're being held captive by psycho monsters. What do they want from you? Uh... that bastard Shu said that he wanted to make me a proper lady, right...? But he also said that I'd be his servant..._ I rubbed my aching head. _Well, if he wants to make me a lady like he first said, then my goal will be to pretend to be a lady for him... if he's intent on keeping me as his servant... forever... then my goal is escape._

I sighed, sitting back in my chair. _But... as slim as the odds of escape are... even if I make it out of here, what's stopping him from hauling my ass back here... or worse?_ My head throbbed painfully. _So... escape isn't an option then, either, is it..._

"Ugh... this is too much..." Tired of my dinner, I pushed away from the desk. _I guess I'll just have to stay alive, for now..._ I ruffled my hair irritably, scolding myself. "No, Aika! Your family is waiting for you! Figure this out **now**..!"

I sighed loudly, wracking my head and gritting my teeth.

 _ **Click.**_

I froze. _W-was that the door...?_

* * *

Sorry, not very much Sakamaki fun..! I tried to make it short and bearable.. But you're getting to know Aika and Hilde, so it's okay, right..? :'D


	8. Proposition

My door was open. Green eyes, clever and _hungry,_ leered at me from the dark. The brown haired lord with the hat peered through my cracked door. My heart pounded.

"Y-you...!" I hissed, my chair screeched as I stood. His eyes narrowed with a predatory smile. And I knew I was screwed.

 _That.. that was a mistake...! I-I shouldn't have moved..! Shu told you that they like to chase, and yet you couldn't be docile for once in your life, Aika..?!_

"Nfu... are you that excited to see me again..?" The man asked pleasantly. I scowled as he entered my room and closed the door behind him. As it clicked shut, I felt my hope of escape flicker out. _Damn it.. this is bad..!_ I was cornered.

The monster titled its head curiously. "Hmm? I'm the first to get here..?" An excited blush rose on his cheeks. "... it looks like I get to play with you aaaall alone, this time.."

I recoiled. _Play with me..?! I'm not a toy, damn it..!_ The fresh memory of his teeth in my wrist made my heart race. That was his idea of a good time; my pain. _And I'm supposed to just play dead, Shu..?_ _I-I can't do it...! I can't make myself just let this guy have his way even if I want to..! It's impossible!_

This _thing_ smelled too strongly of danger. A type of danger that I was familiar with. It wasn't the chaotic danger of a drunkard or ruffian. His brand was worse. This sort of evil spoke calmly and moved casually, but beneath his genial words and alluring smile, I sensed a cloaked dagger; he was calm because he _knew._ He had already won.

I grit my teeth... _he's_ _the same as_ _Kaito... I never win, and it_ _ **pisses**_ _me off! But even if he's ten steps ahead... I just can't be a mindless sheep..! I have to fight!_

Even so, I didn't have many options... I couldn't _physically_ fight him; he could break bars of metal! And there was no where for me to run... I couldn't even scream. _If I wake someone up... then I could make enemies out of humans_ _ **and**_ _monsters... damn it!_

Panic electrified my blood, but I stirred my bravery. "... I don't want to play with you. Get out."

The man in the hat raised his brows with a smile. "Ohh...? Is that any way to speak to a lord..? I thought you wanted to have some _fun.."_ He touched his lip coyly. _".._ you seemed so eager. _"_

"No!" My neck felt hot. "I'm not here to entertain you so get _out_! Shu will be _mad_ if you touch me."

"Oh my, Bitch-Chan, what are you imaging I'll _do_ to you in that naughty head of yours...?" His smile grew, and I pinched my lips shut. His eyes twinkled, but he merely raised his hands in surrender. "Well, whatever it is; I won't do it. Do you really imagine I'd play with an unwilling woman..? I'm hurt..."

I glared with loathing as he all too casually approached my bed. I cautiously crept away, keeping distance as he sat upon the white sheets and gave me an amused smile. Leaning back on one hand, he removed his fedora with the other, placing it beside him. "I'm merely here to talk.. is that so wrong?"

His eyes glinted with mischief, and I couldn't help but think that he was lying. I shifted anxiously.

"Whatever it is you have to say, I'm not interested.. if Shu finds out you were here, he will be _very_ angry..." It was honestly a weak warning thanks to my trembling fists. Unsurprisingly, he wasn't moved by my words. Instead of leaving, he casually leaned back onto his elbows. Clearly, he intended to stay. At my expense.

"Really, you think so? That's cute, Bitch-Chan." He smiled with almost genuine happiness. But it left a _very_ bitter taste in my mouth. Irritation churned in my gut. _He's toying with me..!_ "Where is your master now? It looks to me like he's left you to.. the _wolves."_

"Just hurry up and say what you have to! I need to sleep." I snapped shortly. I tried to stand firmly, but under his intense gaze, I fidgeted. He tilted his head curiously.

"Why so _angry,_ Bitch-Chan..! Well, fine then I'll just tell you. I have a proposition for you." He said pleasantly. But my skin crawled at the possibilities and that moronic nick name. I glared as he waited for a response. Upon realizing that I wasn't going to speak, he turned his brows up hopelessly. "... you're very high strung, aren't you..?"

I scowled sourly. "Spit it out."

"My, my, such a rude way of speaking..! Is that how they raise ladies in your town?" His shrugged his shoulders with a sigh. Then his wicked smile pierced me. "... I think I like it."

My cheeks heated. _W-what is with this guy..!? Why does he act so_ _ **weird**_ _? And why is it making me so nervous...?_ "Can you hurry up? I need to go back to sleep..!"

He sighed as if I was being the unreasonable one. "So demanding, Bitch-Chan... fine. I propose that you and I... become _very_ good friends."

His eyes glittered in a frightening way. And as much as I would have liked to have an ally, something told me _he_ wouldn't have made a very good one. _There's something so... untrustworthy about this guy... don't fall for that smile, Aika..! He just wants to_ _ **eat**_ _you..!_

"No thanks." I murmured, quieter than I'd intended. He smiled up at me, amused.

"Don't you want friends, Bitch-Chan? It gets _very_ lonely in this castle..." His fingers lazily ran along the sheets of my bed. I swallowed hard. "I promise I'll take good care of you.. nfu!"

I scowled at that. "Sorry, but I have been given orders _not_ to befriend any of you creatures... Shu is the one who holds the fate of my family, not _you,_ so it's him I'll listen to.."

"Family?" His fingers paused in their slow creep across my sheets, to cover a coy smile. "Could it be that you have a _husband_ waiting for you back home..?"

Discomfort twisted my gut. I didn't like his curiosity about my family; I'd rather these monsters never even know they existed, let alone asked _questions_. _Keep your mouth shut about them, Aika..!_

"Hardly. But that isn't the point. The point is, Shu wants you to stay far, far away from me. So please leave."

He dropped his hand back to the sheets to prop himself up. His raised his brows. "Oh.. does he, Bitch-Chan..?"

 _I'm tired of his games..!_

"Why do you call me Bitch-Chan?! You _know_ my name, damn it!" I snapped.

He was unphased by the outburst. "Aww, you don't like the nickname, _Aika_ -Chan?" My cringed at the intimate inflection he used on my name. He must have noticed the traitorous pink in my cheeks. "Oh...? You get _that_ much pleasure when I say your name..? How obscene... " He touched his lip with false demureness, leering up at me through his lashes. _W-what..?! Is this monster a... a_ _ **pervert..!?**_ _And where are you, Shu!?_

"I do _not_!" I snapped indignantly. "You're supposed to call people by their _names_ , and not barge into their _rooms._.! Who _are_ you, anyways?!"

He brightened suddenly at that. "Oh! How could I forget to tell you?"

Suddenly he was gone from my bed. And suddenly my back was against the wall. His shadow swallowed me whole as he held my shoulders against the cold stone. His hot breath teased the skin of my neck. I froze up.

"... make sure you moan _Laaaito-Sama_ veeery loudly, okay Bitch-Chan..?" He whispered. And it wasn't the words that made me blush. It was the _way_ he said them..! He spoke breathlessly, as if drowning in _ecstasy._ I'd never heard anything so... so _lewd!_ My head spun as it tried to catch up to my body's reaction. "... if you do, I'll reward you with more love than you can handle. Deal..?"

His faint touches drew fire in their wake as he traced the shape of my hip through my dress and up my neck into my hair. I was drowning. _I-I've never.. this kind of touching is-_

Heat frayed my thoughts. With all my strength, I shoved him away. "NO!"

He made a surprised face and fell onto my bed. I shook my head rapidly, my thoughts tumbled around my head out of my mouth. "Thank you, but _no thank you!_ I don't need companionship and definitely not _love_ , especially not from **you,** so if you would please leave _now,_ then I won't have to tell Shu about you _coming_ here..!"

My cheeks felt full to bursting and my fists were shaking. He stared up at me with raised brows before smiling and running his fingers through his long hair. "... you know, you're stronger than you look, Bitch-Chan... I think underestimated you. You're more fun that I'd imagined.."

Panic struck me. Quickly I grabbed the candle from my bed stand and held it before me like a weapon. My hands shook. Wax dripped from the candle holder onto my fingers and I winced but refused to drop it. "Stay. Away. I'm not giving you any more of my blood; Shu will be furious if he finds out that you took it from me!"

"... some how I doubt that he will be..." He chuckled darkly, rising calmly with the smoothness of a cat. I took a step back. "But that's very cute..! You think you can fight me..? Go ahead.. it only makes me want you more _.._ "

"NO! I _swear_ I'll use it! Stay away!" My hands shook tremulously, spilling more hot wax. The scalding liquid made me flinch, and I reflexively lowered the candle, and quick as a cat, he snatched it from my hands. I gasped and backed away as he raised the fire towards me. His smile grew wicked as the candle light danced across his shadowed features.

"Oh? You don't want to play anymore, Bitch-Chan..? I thought you wanted to use it.." He murmured, raising the flame precariously close to my face. I felt the heat before I pressed my spine against the wall.

"S-stay away!" I warned shakily.

"Aww... but there are many fun uses for candles... and candle _wax_... here, let me show you." His eyes gleamed evilly. He grabbed my right wrist, the one he'd bitten and ran his thumb over the mark he'd left. He pressed it harshly and sighed euphorically as I whined in pain. I struggled, terror stricken as I realized his intent when he raised the candle over the wound and tilted it.

" _NO! Please stop,_ _ **please..**_ _!_ " I begged, thrashing wildly against his iron grip. But instead of releasing me, he sighed an airy moan. My cheeks warmed at the provocative sound, despite my absolute disgust.

He sounded on the verge of climax. "Ahh... how could I... you look so helpless... show me more of that begging face, Bitch-Chan..."

My wide eyes watched in horror as the white, thick substance dripped onto my tender flesh.

Human enemies be damned, I screamed. As loud as I could. The hot candle wax wasn't unbearable. But hot candle wax in a barely sealed wound burned more than the original bite had. The heat burrowed deep into the tender flesh and stung like a dozen bees.

My legs gave out under me as I gasped for air. _It fucking burns – fucking shit- Ahh-_ My eyes watered as I struggled to pull my wrist free of his unyielding grip. All the while, he groaned with pleasure. I glared at him through a pained wince. His eyes were glazed with a terrifying lust.

"W-what is wrong with y-you...?!" I spat, my voice shook, but I didn't care. I hated him too much to care.

"Ahh... Bitch-Chan... don't look at me like that..." He murmured crouching and setting aside the candle. When I turned away, his hand cupped my chin, holding fast when I tried to pull away. I glared with wet eyes and an ugly scowl. "... nnn... did you enjoy it..? Did you enjoy it as much as I did...? Wasn't that fun, Bitch-Chan...?"

My eyes went wide in horror. "Y-you're a monster...! Physically and mentally! Stay _away_ from me!"

I shoved at him with my free hand, but he easily caught it, grinning wickedly as he brought it to his lips. "... that's not a _no_ Bitch-Chan... are you that much of a masochist...?"

"Y-you actually think I'd enjoy that..?!" I couldn't imagine the mental illness required to actually enjoy inflicting or receiving such agony..! But evidently, whatever it was, this guy had it bad. _Wait, he said he was Laito, didn't he...? Isn't that Hilde's monster...?_ Memory of her euphoria over the bites slapped me in the face. _He wanted to turn me into another Hilde...?_

"... there are _plenty_ of people who enjoy sweet, sweet agony..." He pushed my wrists against the wall, squeezing the agonized one painfully. I tried to hold in the pained gasp, but he only pressed harder until I cried out. He groaned wantonly, suddenly nuzzling into my neck. "... especially when it's given with lots of _love._. _ahh_... what a nice moan..."

I grit my teeth as I panted furiously, trying to pull away from his mouth as he trailed _disgusting_ kisses down my throat _._ Hilde's scarred throat flashed across my mind. "W-well I don't want.. your god damn idea of _love_... you're a **monster**!"

"Awww, don't be like that, Bitch-Chan.. just ask nicely, and I'll make you feel so good you'll forget about the pain..." He whispered nibbling at my ear. I gasped. My body was reacting to his words more than I was willing to admit. But each time his lips touched my skin, I remembered Hilde's obvious insanity.

"No... I'm not Hilde." I snapped. I felt him freeze up, but didn't wait for his response. "SHU! Shu HELP!"

He pulled back, letting me see his cold smile. "Oh Bitch-Chan... it's rude to say another man's name when being pleasured... I'm going to have to punish you."

My eyes widened in panic. I sucked in a breath to scream for Shu, but he smothered it easily. I frantically tried to pull his hand away but he patiently moved his other hand to his belt. My eyes watered with terror.


End file.
